1983

June 2, 1983 Motor Officer Paul L. Verna Los Angeles Police Department  Officer Paul Verna, 35, a Medal of Valor winner gunned down during a routine traffic stop, was laid to rest in a service attended by more than 3,500 fellow officers. An additional 2,000 civilians attended the June 8 burial of the murdered motorcycle officer at Oakwood Memorial Park, just a few miles from the neighborhood where Verna was raised and the corner where he was killed. About 300 police motorcycles and 1,500 black-and-white patrol cards comprised a motorcade viewed by hundreds of citizens who lined the route.

July 17, 1983 Police Officer William Leonard Sikola Bakersfield Police Department, CA Motorcycle officer William Sikola, 27, affectionately dubbed "Pepsi Cola" by his friends, was officially off duty when he answered a call for assistance that led to his death.Married and the father of three children, Sikola was a four year veteran of the Bakersfield Police Department. He had been a motorcycle officer for about three months. Police reports said the officer was headed home in uniform on his police motorcycle just after midnight when he heard a radio call asking for assistance in chasing a stolen car. He responded to the call and quickly sped down northbound Highway 99 trying to head off the fleeing car. He was just south of the 24th street off-ramp when his motorcycle developed what police describe a "A high-speed wobble." Sikola lost control of his bike and crashed into the center divider. He died of massive head and chest injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital.

August 24, 1983 Patrolman Charles E. Bruce Fort Lauderdale Police Department, FL Patrolman Bruce was killed in a motorcycle accident while on duty. He had been with the agency for 22 years and was survived by his wife, daughter, and three sons.

September 7, 1983 Constable Russell O'Connor Ottawa Police, Ontario   As a member of the traffic section, Constable O'Connor was operating a motorcycle on the Queensway when he lost control of the vehicle and died as a result of injuries received

September 16, 1983 Patrolman Jimmy Ray McKiven Gadsden Police Department, AL Patrolman McKiven was killed in a motorcycle accident when his police motorcycle was struck by another car while he responded to a robbery call at the Gadsden Mall. He had been with the agency for ten years and was survived by his wife and twin sons.